Brake-shoe key



s. H. CAMPBELL BRAKE SHOE KEY Filed Aug. 4,1923

Patented July 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES STERLING H. CAMPBELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BRAKE-SHOE KEY.

Application filed August 4, 1923. Serial No. 655,568.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STERLING H. CAMP- BELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Brake- Shoe Key, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brakes for railway cars and particularly to improvements in the form of key for securing the brake shoe to the brake head. Heretofore a brake shoe has commonly been secured to the brake head by means of a curved and tapered key positioned between these parts and extending through overlapping lugs carried thereby; the lower end of the key projecting below the brake shoe so that it may be loosened for removal by being struck upon its lower end by a 'suit able tool. The upper end of the key is usually provided with a rearwardly projecting lug to limit its movement when being driven into position, which lug also, to a slight degree, assists in the removal of the key. Such lug, however, does not provide effective means for the removal of the key by a tool inserted laterally from a position outside the track upon which the car rests.

The object of the present invention is to so construct the key that it may be removed by a laterally inserted tool thus obviating the necessity of the workman assuming a dangerous position upon the track when removing a worn shoe in order to replace it with a new one. This object I accomplish by providing the upper end of the key with a laterally openin aperture adapted to receive and efiective y engage a key removing tool inserted from a position outside the track.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate several forms of brake keys made in accordance with my invention, Figure 1 is a side view partly in section showing a brake head and brake shoe with one form of my key applied thereto; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the key shown in Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4: are views showing the upper parts of keys in which the lateral apertures are formed in auxiliary members attached to the keys; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views showing keys in which the lateral aperture is formed by bending the upper part of the key into a loop; Figure 8 shows a method of forming the aperture by punching and twisting the upper end of the loop; Figure 9 shows the use of a ring for forming the aperture; Figure 10 shows a form of aperture adapted to be formed by forging, and Figure 11 is a view of a complete pin showing a still further modification.

Referring first to Figure 1, 11 indicates a brake beam carrying a brake head 12 carrying a pair of forwardly projecting lugs 13 cooperating with a lug 14 on the brake shoe 15 to receive a key 16. The key 16 does not project below the brake shoe but terminates a short distance below the lower lug 13 and has formed in its upper end a laterally opening aperture 17. In the. form of key shown in Figures 1 and 2 this aperture 17 is formed in a portion extending in the plane of the key, which portion is afterward bent at right angles to properly position the aperture.

In Figure 3 the aperture 17 is formed in an auxiliary member 18 secured to the key by an integral rivet 19, the members being shaped to secure the lug 20 on the upper endof the key. The construction shown in Figure 4 is the same as that shown in Figure 3 except that the auxiliary member 18 is slightly changed in shape to accommodate a key without the lug 20.

Figures 5 and 6 show keys in which the aperture 17 is formed by bending the upper end of the key into a loop 21. The construction shown in Figure 6 differs from thatshown in Figure 5 only in that the loop 21 is provided with an extension 22 secured to the body of the key by a rivet 23.

In all of the forms above described the aperture 1-7 forms a complete circle, or closed loop, so as to embrace all sides of the tool used to extract the key. This construction, while desirable, is not essential, and in Fi re 7 I have the aperture as formed by a hook-shaped bend 24. As such hook embraces the upper edges and both sides of the tool it secures the desired function effectively by engaging the tool.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 show still another modification in the form ofthe u per part of the key. The loop 25 is formed y punching and twisting. The ring 26 is secured in a hole in the' upper end of the key and e the loop 27 is formed integral with the key by forging.

In Figure 11 I have shown another form ofkey in which the key is constructed by bending a strip of metal 28 so as to form at one end a loop providing an aperture 17. This strip of metal 28 is uniform in thickness throughout its length except that one end is preferably slightly bevelled as shown at 29. The two ends of the strip are curved and superimposed so as to lay nearly but not quite parallel so that the body of the key is curved and tapered, as in the form previously described notwithstanding the fact that the strip 28 is uniform in thickness throughout substantially its entire length. This construction provides a key with greater resiliency than those above described and at the same time allows the construction of the key with smallest possible amount of metal.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a brake head, of a brake shoe, and a key extending alternately through lugs on both parts for securing said parts together, said key being provided at its upper end with a laterally opening aperture adapted to engage with a key removing tool inserted from the side of the brake.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a brake head, of a brake shoe, and a key extending alternately through lugs on both parts for securing said parts together, the body of said key being formed of a single piece of curved metal, the upper end of the key being provided .with a laterally opening aperture adapted to engage with a key removing tool inserted from the side of the brake.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a brake head, of a brake shoe, and a key for securing said parts together, said key being of less length than said brake shoe and being provided at its upper end with a laterally opening aperture adapted to engage with a key removing tool inserted from the side of the brake.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a brake head, of a brake shoe, and a key for securing said parts together, said key being formed of a sin le strip of metal bent to provide a laterally opening loop at one end, both sides being curved in the same direction to provide a longitudinally tapered body. I

In testimony whereof,'I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal.

- STERLING CAMPBELL. [1,. 5.] 

